Creativity and culture – Confucius Institute hosts free music workshops for the 2016 World Music Celebration

The University of Idaho”s Confucius Institute and the Lionel Hampton School of Music have paired up to bring together two worlds through music with their 2016 World Music Celebration.

Hexian Xue, co-director of the Confucius Institute, said this year”s celebration centers around traditional Chinese and Nepali music.

“I am confident through this World Music collaboration the students of UI and faculty will know more about music,” Xue said.

The celebration includes visiting musicians from Nepal and from The South China University of Technology who will teach free music workshops to the public.

“The professor and the students will visit the Lionel Hampton School of Music students and faculty and we will give them seminar and workshop,” Xue said.

The Masterclass workshops, “Essence of Music” and “Spoken Rhythms” will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday in the Administration Building Auditorium. The workshops and free and open to the public.

Xue said the workshops will be taught by a few of the visiting professional musicians, one of them being the South China University of Technology professor, Zhong Huoming.

“Zhong Huoming from the South of China University of Technology is a professional Chinese bamboo flute player,” Xue said. “He has been teaching the flute at South of China University for more than 10 years.”

Through the workshops, Xue said attendees will learn the history of Chinese music as well as how to use the Chinese flute.

Matthew Wappett, who co-directs the Confucius Institute with Xue, said the World Music Celebration”s workshops provide an opportunity for community members to not just be exposed to new music, but to participate as well.

“I believe that prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness can easily be resolved to diverse music and through different music,” Wappet said.

Xue said the best part about these workshops is that participants will receive a hands-on approach to learning music.

“Audiences enjoy watching but with a workshop, you can ask questions and are face to face and can communicate,” Xue said. “Also, participants can feel with their hands the instrument, which has an authentic feeling.”